Fastening for shoes, &amp;c.



No. 786,406. PATENTED APR. 4', 1905.

' J. J. BOYNTON.

FASTENING FOR SHOES, 82o. APPLICATION FILED APR.25.1904.

UNITED STATES Patented April 4., 1905.

PATENT OEEIcE.

JOSEPH J. BOYNTON, OF PRINCETON, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- FOURTH TO CHARLES L. SMITH, OF PRINCETON, KENTUCKY.

FASTENING FOR SHOES, &0.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 786,406, dated April 4, 1905.

Application filed April 25, 1904. Serial No. 204,821.

To (tlZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OSEPH J. BoYNroN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Princeton, in the county of Caldwell and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fastenings for Shoes, &c. and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to fastenings for use on shoes, gloves, and other articles having a placket-opening the edges of which are drawn together by means of a lacing cord or string.

The object of the invention is to provide fastenings for the lacing cord or string which will hold said cord or string above the surface of the article, thereby preventing the same from exerting pressure on the member of the body on which the article is worn and chafing or rubbing of the skin or retarding blood circulation.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a shoe equipped with my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the fasteners detached. Fig. 3 is a detail section through one of the meeting edges of the placket and one of the fasteners. Figs. a and 5 are perspective views of the knuckle and pintle members, and Fig. 6 is a view showing a slight modification.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a laced shoe of any ordinary construction provided with the usual placket the meeting edges 2 and 3 of which are adapted to be connected by the lacing cord or string 4. The meeting edges 2 and 3 are shown as provided at their upper portion with the ordinary hooks or studs 5 and at their lower portions with my improved fastener 6, which fastener 6 comprises two membersa pintle member '7 and a knuckle member 8. The pintle member 7 consists of a strip of metal stamped up through the action of a suitable die and doubled or folded upon itself to provide upper and lower portions 9 and 10, which'are connected at one,

side by the fold thereof, which forms a pintle 11. The said portions 9 and 10 are slotted for the passage of an eyelet 12, which holds the same in fixed relation and secures them to the meeting edges 2 and 3 of the placket of the shoe, and the said slots therein are angular in shape at one side, as shown at 13, to give required length to the pintle 11. The knuckle member 8 consists of a-strip similarly made and folded to provide upper and lower portions 14: and 15, which are slotted for the passage of an eyelet 16, connecting them together. The fold or portion of metal connecting said upper and lower portions 14: and 15 is enlarged and given a nearly-circular formation to provide a knuckle 17, which receives and embraces the pintle 11 of the member 7. By this means it will be seen that while the pintle members of the fastener are fixed to the meeting edges 2 and 3 of the placket of the shoe the knuckle members 8 are free to swing and may assume a position at an angle above the plane thereof, thus allowing the lacing cord or string 4, which passes therethrough and which is engaged at its ends with the studs 5, to lie in an elevated plane above the edges 2 and 3, immediately over the instep of the foot, so that when said lacing cord or string is drawn taut it will not exert a down pressure upon the tongue and edges 2 and 3 of the placket and cause rubbing or chafing of the foot or undue pressure thereon liable to obstruct the blood circulation. The fastener will thus overcome the objections to the ordinary style of fastener in which the lacing-cord passes simply through eyelets in the portions 2 and 3 and lie partially below the same, so as to cause objectionable downward pressure on said portions and the tongue of the shoe.

Instead of disposing the members 7 and 8 of the fastening as shown and describedthat is, with a pintle member 7 fastened to the meeting edges 2 and 3 and the knuckle members 8 free to move on said pintle members it will be understood that such arrangement of the members of the fastener may be reversed-that is to say, the knuckle members 8 may be secured to the meeting edges 2 and 3 and the pintle members 7 left free to swing upon the knuckle members. If desired, also,

instead of employing the eyelets 16 as guides for the lacing cord or string 4 I may provide the knuckle member of each fastener with a stud 18 to take the place of said eyelets, as illustrated in Fig. 6.

The invention is not limited in application to a shoe; but it may be employed upon gloves, garments of various kinds, and different articles where it is desirable to prevent the lacing cord or string from exerting undesirable downward pressure upon a part.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what 1 claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A fastening of the class described comprising a pintle member and a knuckle member each formed of a single strip of metal doubled or folded upon itself, said members being provided, respectively, with an eyelet and with a guide connection for a lacing cord or string, substantially as described.

2. A fastening of the class described comprising a pintle member and a knuckle member each made of a strip of metal bent or folded upon itself, one of said members having a guide or connection for a lacing cord or string and the other having an opening, and an eyelet in the said opening for connecting the said member to an article to which it is adapted to be attached, substantially as described.

3. A fastening for lacing cords or strings comprising a slotted plate provided with a pintle, a second slotted plate provided with a knuckle engaging said pintle, a fastening device disposed in the slot of one of said members, and a guide or connection for a lacing cord disposed in the slot of the other member, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH J. BOYN TON \Vitnesses:

JOHN R. \VYLIE, W. RAY BAKER. 

